A Starbeck triumph: Community spirit shines as Britain in Bloom judges visit

Finola Fitzpatrick

Starbeck’s extraordinary community spirit was on full show when the Britain in Bloom judges visited.

In a truly inspirational effort, 18 community groups pulled together to create a ‘river of flowers’ display which brightly filled Starbeck High Street.

An extraordinary team effort: Chris Binks with some of the team behind the Starbeck Methodist Church display. Picture: Adrian Murray.

Thousands of flowers were all proudly handmade - their sheer number showcasing the abundance of community-minded people making Starbeck special, which was the theme of this year’s entry.

The judges toured Starbeck with the team from Starbeck in Bloom to admire every display, stretching out as far as the eye could see - from Springwater school, to St Andrew’s Church, Starbeck library, the Methodist Church and Belmont field.

The remarkable hard work from Starbeck in Bloom, spearheaded by organiser Christine Stewart, and the groups involved in making this extraordinary effort happen, has been widely praised.

These include the Ladies Circle, Henshaws, Springwater School, the rainbows, brownies and guides, Belmont House Care Home, Starbeck Primary School, the afternoon WI, the Cone Exchange, Handprints, St Andrew’s Church, the Methodist Church, the Starbeck Sirens WI, and the Country Women’s Association.

Coun Janet Law said: “It makes you burst with pride seeing how hard everyone has worked in Starbeck.

"They have all made it look really, really nice. They have done so well with all the decorations, everything looks so beautiful."

Grace Coop, who helped to coordinate the groups taking part with their displays, said: "“Everybody has put in so much time and effort in Starbeck to make this happen.”

Starbeck in Bloom member, Mary Bradley, said: "We have a really good community in Starbeck. This is all year round, Starbeck in Bloom does a great job going up and down the High Street picking up litter to make sure Starbeck looks its best.”

The Rev Philip Carman from St Andrew’s Church, whose daughter is at Springwater School and helped to put together their display, said: “It is amazing how the community comes together in Starbeck - on the surface this is about flowers, but it is about much more than that. It really shows the pride that people have in our community here.”

Coun Philip Broadbank said: "It brings people together."

Jim Bean, who proudly helped to show the judges around Starbeck's allotments, said: "I think the judges were impressed with the quality of the produce in our plots."

The Rev Ann Fox from Starbeck Methodist Church, said: "So much has been going on in the background to pull all of this together. I've really enjoyed being a part of it.

"The community’s really come out to support this, and there are people involved of all ages."